For the Family
by theshukri
Summary: Stumbling through a warpath of his own creation, Raphael has one thing and one thing only on his mind - get to his big brother, Leonardo, in time. Doesn't matter if Leo's doing ok, or if his need makes no sense - Raph is going to do anything to get there.


**DISCLAIMER: I don't own TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES or any of it's characters, make no profit, yada yada yada, blah blah blah, I am but a mere pawn in the grand design of life. Totally not responsible if you find yourself getting utterly hopeful every time you see something green. Or red. Or purple. Or orange. Or even blue.**

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><p><strong>FOR THE FAMILY<strong>

_april 2011_

_adeusparaiso_

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><p>He was bleeding.<p>

Guns had been used - he was sure one had hit him at some point, but the adrenaline pumping through his veins and spilling out of his body had him ignorant of everything around him save for what he wanted. Blood roared in his ears, he was suffering from tunnel vision, and he clumsily stumbled on further - mindlessly heedless of all the foot ninjas and purple dragons dropping left, right and centre, certain with a sort of undeniably certainty that his two baby brothers would be fine. Somehow, _somehow_, he knew they wouldn't need him - he knew tonight would not be a night he'd need to keep an eye on them.

No, tonight, that was solely for Leo.

He slugged an enemy that came too close, body still sharp, moves still dangerous, instincts honed to the point were they were far more then just first nature. Dimly, he realised the numbers had significantly dwindled, and what was left of the scum were either quickly scurrying away or attempting one last ditch effort before they were knocked unconscious. In front of him he could see Leo, fearless, blue clad Leo, dancing along with his katana's as he dealt with up to 20 foot soldiers at once. He didn't bother questioning his instincts that were screaming at him to get to his elder brother in time - even if Leo seemed to not have broken a sweat, even if out of all of them _he _was the one worst off, even if none of his brothers would understand how he was able to always know when one of them was in danger and be able to just jump in at the nick of time and save them.

His sai's were completely a part of him now, he was so far gone that he didn't particularly feel himself holding the two primarily defensive weapons, he couldn't feel his fingers, he couldn't feel his arms, he couldn't feel anything of his body - everything was just an extension of the mind. He attacked with absolutely no hesitation, no jaggy movements that was purely him, no random feints and unconventional fighting tricks that he was so famously feared for - everything he did was perfectly aligned, smooth, quick, flawless and sparing. He took no less then three steps outside of the war path he'd forged for himself, his feet always returned exactly to where they were before, and the purple dragons and foot ninja's had long since created a parting around him, watching him with frightened awe, with no clue how to deal with him.

Half the blood on him wasn't his own.

The other half was.

He figured, dimly, that his own blood was mixing with that already on him. He found it oddly ironic that in the end, the blood beating through a mutant turtle would literally be similar to that of a human - so symbolically portrayed by how it ran alongside his own down his previously emerald skin hue.

Leo was almost done now, a few slashes, jabs and hits- _aah_, there, he was finished. What little remained of the opponents now full on retreated, and Leo paid them no heed as he sheathed his weapons quietly and turned around to portray the damage.

Immediately, they locked eyes. The small frown on the eldest turtles face cleared to worry (and a tint of blossoming guilt for having been so focused on his own battle) as he took in the bloodied form of the second eldest. It was impossible to tell where the red bandana began and what was simply blood. Leo took a hurried step forward, taking another quickly to reach his brother before he feared he'd lose consciousness.

And behind him, a dark silhouette propped up a bow and arrow.

Adrenaline beating, Raphael used the almost closed space to grab Leonardo and place himself before him. He didn't feel the arrow land with a solid _thwunk_, but for a moment, the deafening roar of his blood covering his hearing suddenly cleared. He heard Mikey's cry, Don chasing the archer away, and he _felt _Leo's hold on his shoulder as his legs buckled beneath him.

Turning himself around, Raph lifted his all of a sudden heavy arms, only to let them land heavily over his brother's own. Mikey appeared over Leo's shoulder looking down on them both with a horrified expression - and soon, Donatello arrived with an uncharacteristic murderous look on his face. But before Don even attempted to play doctor, Leo caught Raph's attention with his face pinched in emotional grief.

"Why?"

Raph would have barked a laughter, but he was pretty sure doing that would only burst the last remaining haziness of the adrenaline rush and bring with it a world of pain. But he managed to chuckle bitterly - a sound he was still glad to say sounded very much like his own.

"Ya'd do it fer any of us, Fearless."

He saw understanding of the point in those eyes, but he also saw how Leo refused to not let go of the nonexistent blame he always put on himself. He wouldn't take help for himself; it was the main reason why Raph always argued with him, the main thing that grated so bad on his nerves. But now, now Raph couldn't just let those eyes be the last thing he saw. He didn't know if he was going to die - he could see Don frantically muttering to himself about a bullet wound and possible damage to his abdomen as well as where the arrow had wedged itself into his plastron - but even if he survived, he didn't want to have to be on bed-rest for a few months with Leo hovering over him like some damn ghost.

So he leaned forward, slowly but surely losing the battle with consciousness, and laid his forehead against his brother's.

"For the family," he simply said, knowing full well Leo could accept anything if it was for them all (if it was for their little brothers and father). He repeated it one more time, just to make sure they all heard it, and to get it across that this was one of those Raph-points that were not to be brushed off or ignored, then quickly found himself succumbing to the lonely darkness.

And before he did just that, he felt three pairs of arms circle around him, felt three bodies press against him, and heard Leo's soothing voice against his forehead.

"For the family."

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><p><strong>AN: Inspired by a book where a brother dies protecting his older brother, says that line as his last words, only to have the brother he died for get shot in the head moments later. Got no clue <em>what <em>the movie's called, but I totally was all "LEONARDO WOULDN'T DIE LIKE THAT IF RAPH DIED PROTECTING HIM. GOSH, DAMN YOU AND YOUR SHITTY USELESS DEATH." and thus this was born. Written at 2 am in the morning on my phone, I hope it's good. Raph might die, he might not, it's really up to you to choose what the verdict is next morning. Personally, I think Raph is the typa person/turtle that'll either go first, or go last. No middle middle for him, thankyouverymuch. XD DO REVIEW. 8D**

**~adeusparaiso**


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